Ask RC- What about head coverings? What does “because of the angels” mean?

I’m for them. Here are just a few thoughts on the matter. First, I am happy to concede that men of good will differ on this issue. That said, I’m delighted that one person who shared my perspective was my father. That, of course, doesn’t settle the issue. It does help my confidence that I’m not out in left field.

Second, I’m also happy to boldly suggest that virtually every Christian, from the time of Paul’s epistle to about half a century ago, agrees with me on this issue. That also doesn’t settle the issue, but it helps my confidence even more that I am not out in left field. What potent interpretive insight, I wonder, did the church miss all those centuries? Isn’t it just a bit curious that all believers believed the same thing on this issue until the rise of feminism?

Third, one thing I’m certain of- having our wives cover their heads at corporate worship is certainly not a sin. Looking down our noses at those who do not do so is a sin. Doing so is certainly not. Failing to do so, on the other hand may be a sin. By resistless Pascalian logic, the choice should be obvious. That is, if choice A is certainly not a sin and choice B possibly could be a sin, isn’t it clearly safer and better to choose A?

Fourth, I’m highly skeptical of the “Her hair is the covering” argument. It strikes me that if that were the case, Paul wouldn’t have had to say anything. As messed up as the Corinthian church was, I don’t suspect there was a strong husbands-with-bald-headed-wives contingent there needing to be rebuked. Such is not to say I understand precisely where the long hair fits in on all this.

Fifth, please notice the grammar above. This is an issue for husbands, not wives. That is, no man will be able to stand before the throne of God, and when He asks why his wife worshipped uncovered, say, “Yeah, what about that? Why don’t we get her in here?” Wives, that means that if your husband doesn’t want you to cover, covering is a sin. We are to obey those in authority over us unless or until they command us to do what God clearly forbids or forbid us to do what God clearly commands. I don’t believe this is an issue that rises to the level of “clearly.” It would, I suspect, give the devil quite a laugh if a woman covers her head as a sign of submission to a husband who asked her not to.

Sixth, I really don’t like to make a big deal about this. When I am asked in person about this issue, I typically reply, “I’ll probably commit a more grave sin in the time it takes me to answer the question than it is to be wrong on this issue.” It would never cross my mind to think less of any family with a wife’s head uncovered.

So why did I bother to answer it? So I could get to the second part of the question. Here I have what may be the wisest answer I could ever give. What is meant by “because of the angels?” I don’t know.

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